Pump up the Volume (1990, Christian Slater) – Classic Film Review 835

Writer-director Allan Moyle’s 1990 comedy drama stars Christian Slater as an Arizona suburban high school lad called Mark Hunter who moonlights as a pirate radio disc jockey (Hard Harry) in his spare time. He’s infamous for giving late-night groovy advice to his teenage listeners and upsetting their parents and the authorities.

Pump up the Volume is aimed solidly and engagingly at the teen market, but it’s quite a bit more thoughtful and intelligent than usual. And it’s given some considerable unexpected quality by Slater’s intense and supremely engaging performance, as well as the clever ideas in Moyle’s well-honed script, which is packed with decent and crafted dialogue.

Not all of it works, but the best of it is very good indeed. The fresh performances help it a lot. The young Slater is a delight and so is and Samantha Mathis as his girlfriend Nora Diniro. Scott Paulin as Slater’s dad Brian, Mimi Kennedy as his mom Marla, plus Ellen Greene, Annie Ross and Cheryl Pollak, all give loyal support.

Siskel and Ebert gave it Two Thumbs Up.

Director Moyle’s very bright and jolly 1995 teen comedy drama Empire Records is very much in the same happy, anarchic vein. It’s set around Anthony LaPaglia’s New Jersey independent record store of the title, where the employees learn about each other as they try all they can to stop the store being absorbed by a large chain.

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(C) Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Film Review 835 derekwinnert.com